Lilian Clemente saw a reflection of herself in the young lady arriving at the airport in Phoenix.
The girl was from Brazil and was in Arizona to start college. Clemente, then employed by Arizona State University, had made it her job to facilitate a good transition.
Clemente, now Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at FRCC, is from Brazil herself. She grew up in Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, a small town in the state of São Paulo.
In a press conference with Front Page staff, Clemente talked about making FRCC a more welcoming and far-reaching institution. One of her jobs at Arizona State was international student recruiter. While recruiting in Brazil, she met a high school student who was captivated by the opportunities ASU had to offer. The girl’s father was hesitant, she said, but Clemente’s sincerity and commitment reassured him to consent for his daughter to study in the United States. When the girl arrived in Phoenix, Clemente picked her up from the airport and transported her to her new dormitory. As an immigrant herself, she said she understood how overwhelming this transition could be.
The dorm was chaotic with the excitement of a new school year and the rooms cluttered — except for this girl’s new room. It was empty and unwelcoming. Clemente said she couldn’t simply leave her there. The young lady didn’t even speak English.
The pair traveled to Target, and Clemente helped her pick out essentials to make the space feel like home. Upon returning to the dorm, there was visible improvement in the space and in the girl’s attitude. Clemente reassured her that she wasn’t alone and to simply reach out anytime she needed help.
This experience sparked a broader realization for Clemente, she said. Seeing first-hand how providing a little extra support to this student helped prepare her, Clemente sought to bring this kind of support to as many students as she could.
“What if every international student arrives in a situation like this?” Clemente asked. “How are we going to help them?” Today she is one of FRCC’s 10-person leadership team, where the focus is to oversee the future and deal with the present.
“We discuss priorities and updates on planning,” she said. “We ask each other for feedback and collaboration on projects that span across campuses, as well as celebrating good news and success in students’ lives.”
